By: Jared McMurry
Following a bye week, the Gardner-Webb football team (3-3) is looking to pick up their first road victory on the season as they travel to Virginia Military Institute (1-6).
The Keydets are struggling; losers of four games straight including a 51-14 loss to Navy last Saturday. The Runnin’ Bulldogs on the other hand are riding high off their win over Charlotte two weeks ago as they head into their last non-conference game.
Runnin’ Bulldogs Coach, Carroll McCray, addressed the issue of the struggles his team has faced on the road this season, at his weekly luncheon on Tuesday.
“It takes a little more focus to win on the road, you definitely have to win the turnover margin and the kicking game,” Coach McCray said. “You better pack a running game if you go as well.
Coach McCray also noted that his team is preparing as much as they can during the week as if it is a home game in order to eliminate any unnecessary distractions.
Look for the Runnin’ Bulldogs to get back to the basics and pound the ground game despite being without starting running back Juanne Blount in this week’s game.
Blount who hurt his knee earlier in the season underwent surgery during the bye week and will miss at least one more week. Gardner-Webb will also be without two key offensive linemen again this week.
VMI starting quarterback Al Cobb has thrown for over 1500 yards on the season, and the Keydets will look to spread the ball around once again this week against the Runnin’ Bulldogs who have given up several big offensive plays in the past few weeks.
“We are not going to have the season we want to have if we don’t start playing better on the road,” Coach McCray said. “This week will really tell us a lot about the rest of our season.”
The game will be at VMI in Lexington, Virginia at 1:30 on Saturday afternoon.